Rapture (episode)
On the eve of Bajor's entry into the Federation, Sisko locates the ruins of the ancient lost city of B'hala on Bajor. As the visions that are guiding him prove potentially fatal, Sisko must choose between faith and his life. Summary Teaser In the wardroom on Deep Space 9, Captain Sisko, Major Kira and Jadzia Dax admire a 20,000 year old painting of the lost Bajoran city of B'hala – the only known proof that the city ever existed. While Jadzia is surprised that the painting isn't a lot bigger, Kira and Sisko are in awe of the ancient artifact, which has been returned to the Bajorans by the Cardassian Government. Sisko points out a Bantaca spire in the painting, explaining that markings upon the spire describe the co-ordinates of the lost city; however, since two of the spire's sides cannot be seen, the city's exact position is difficult to decipher. He has the picture scanned into the computer so that he can study it, prompting Kira to recall a prophecy that only one who had been touched by the Prophets could find the ruins of B'hala. In his office, Sisko looks at the computer scan of the painting and the markings on the spire. Adjourning to a holosuite, he produces a recreation of the spire, and has the computer overlay images of the markings from the painting, as he begins a quest to decode the co-ordinates. Later, he is interrupted by Quark, who comes into the holosuite to inform him that it is after 3 a.m. After dismissing Quark's offer of a visit to a pleasure maze, Sisko tries to save the program to a data rod. As he works a console, however, there is an explosion and the Captain is thrown to the floor, plasma energy crackling over his body. Shocked, Quark calls the infirmary. Act One Odo hauls Quark into his office, under arrest for negligence. While Quark attempts to blame Chief O'Brien for not assigning Rom to fix the holosuites, Odo is having none of it, suggesting Quark tell it to the magistrate. In the infirmary, Bashir concludes that the Captain shows no sign of permanent neural damage, but has some odd synaptic potentials. Diagnosing Sisko with post-neural shock syndrome, he advises him that external stimuli will seem more pronounced for a while and discharges him to restricted duty. Later in his quarters, Sisko finishes a meal of lingta roast cooked by his son, Jake. As Jake mentions the imminent return of Kasidy Yates following her six month jail sentence, Sisko is distracted by shapes on his plate, forming them into symbols resembling the markings on the spire. Back in the holosuite, he continues working on the puzzle, but is interrupted by a call from Admiral Charles Whatley from Starfleet Headquarters. The Admiral has big news; Bajor's petition for Federation membership has been successful, and the Bajorans have requested the signing ceremony take place aboard Deep Space 9. Sisko is delighted, and Whatley congratulates him on the successful completion of his mission, telling him that a promotion to Admiral can't be far off. In Quark's bar, a busy crowd watches as several of Quark's dabo girls unveil a banner from the upper level. Realizing that the banner reads "Welcome Klingons", Quark jumps onto the bar and unfurls a second banner bearing the seal of the Federation, to appreciative applause. Chatting with Dax and Worf, Quark gleefully explains how good Bajor's entry into the Federation will be for business, and that he expects the place to be "busier than an Alvanian beehive", with sales of root beer alone to increase by five. Kira explains to Worf and Dax that five years ago she wouldn't have been celebrating, but now her time on the station and her work with Captain Sisko have changed her mind. Seeking to congratulate Sisko, Kira enters the holosuite and finds him sitting motionless on the floor in front of the holographic Bentaka spire. Act Two When he doesn't respond to her, Kira shakes Sisko out of his trance. He explains that he had been experiencing a vision of B'hala, as if he was really there, and had for one moment understood it all: B'hala, the Orbs, the Occupation of Bajor, the discovery of the wormhole, and the coming war with the Dominion – thereby referencing the past and foreshadowing the future. Kira, in awe, explains that he was having a pagh'tem'far, a sacred vision. Just then, O'Brien calls over the comm and announces that Kai Winn is on her way to the station. Sisko asks Kira to greet her at the airlock while he continues to work on the puzzle of the spire. At the airlock, the Kai explains to Kira that she has reservations about Bajor's entry into the Federation, but is willing to await the will of the Prophets. Back in the holosuite, Sisko frets over maps and charts of Bajor in search of the location of B'hala. As he works, the doors of the holosuite open and Kasidy Yates enters, nervous but happy to be back. After kissing her passionately, Sisko tells her that her quarters are just as she left them. He wants her to come to Bajor with him to find B'hala, and she agrees. Beaming down from a runabout into a series of underground passages, Sisko and Yates make their way by flashlight to a wall of stone. Using his phaser to melt the rock, Sisko exposes a cavern behind, containing the ruins of B'hala and its Bantaca spire. Act Three Back on Deep Space 9, Kira, Odo and Worf argue in the security office about accommodation arrangements for several Admirals due to attend the upcoming signing ceremony. Kira is distracted, and explains that she thinks it is a sign from the Prophets that Sisko has found B'hala. Interrupting, Kai Winn appears and asks if she can talk with the Major. On the upper level of the Promenade, the Kai asks Kira if she thinks Sisko will forgive her for doubting that he was truly the Emissary. She admits that she was wrong, that only one touched by the Prophets could have found B'hala, and that she is now willing to follow the path the Emissary has laid out for Bajor. Kira is surprised and impressed, saying that it takes a lot of courage to admit when you're wrong. Winn is insulted, admonishing Kira and those who were in the Resistance for thinking that they were the only ones with courage, the only ones who fought the Cardassians during the Occupation. Winn reveals that she spent five years in a Cardassian prison during the Occupation and that while the Resistance had their weapons to protect them from the Cardassians, all she had was her faith – and her courage. Sitting in the ruins of B'hala surrounded by teams carrying excavation equipment, Sisko is visited by Admiral Whatley. Skeptical, Whatley asks the Captain how he found the city, and Sisko insists it really was a vision. Whatley expresses disappointment that Sisko has been neglecting his duties on the station in the run up to Bajor's entry into the Federation and orders him to attend a medical examination on the station the next morning. As the Admiral leaves, Sisko suffers a painful headache. In the Infirmary, Admiral Whatley awaits the arrival of Sisko, who is late for his medical examination. Hearing a commotion on the Promenade, Bashir and Whatley make their way to the entrance and see Sisko walking through crowds of admiring Bajorans. Sisko stops by a woman and tells her not to worry about her katterpod harvest, and then by a Bajoran Militia officer and tells him that he doesn't belong here. Suddenly crippled by another headache, Sisko is caught by Whatley and Bashir. Looking at the Admiral, Sisko tells him that his son forgives him. Act Four On a biobed in the infirmary, Sisko describes a dream he had about a swarm of locusts hovering above B'hala. The swarm flew off, he says, heading towards Cardassia. Bashir explains that Sisko could die if the visions are allowed to continue, and needs surgery (a neuropolaric induction) to correct his aberrant brain activity. The procedure will save his life, but will also most likely remove the visions. Not wanting to lose the visions, Sisko refuses treatment. In Sisko's quarters, Sisko explains to Jake and Kasidy Yates why he has refused surgery, much to their anger and surprise. Both are upset, and beg him to reconsider. Just then, Kai Winn enters and asks the Emissary if he is ready – he has asked her to guide him in his journey. He tells Jake and Kasidy that he loves them, and then leaves with Winn to consult the Orb of Prophecy. In Ops, Kira, Dax, Worf and O'Brien discuss the Captain's deteriorating health. Worf and Kira assert to the skeptical Dax and O'Brien that faith and the Prophets will guide him safely through. Sisko kneels in front of the Orb of Prophecy, plagued by severe headaches. Winn asks him if he'd rather wait until after the signing ceremony, but he insists that he wants to proceed. As she leaves him, he opens the Orb box. As Federation and Bajoran dignitaries gather in the wardroom for the signing ceremony, Sisko bursts in and warns that Bajor must not join the Federation. He says that Bajor must stand alone else it will be destroyed, before collapsing unconscious to the floor. Act Five Back in the Infirmary, Admiral Whatley orders Bashir to operate, but the Doctor cannot proceed without the permission of Sisko's next of kin. Over Sisko's unconscious body, Jake breaks down and tells his father that he needs him. He gives Bashir permission to operate, and Bashir begins to prepare for surgery. At the entrance to the Bajoran temple, Kai Winn expresses concerns to Kira, saying that she hopes the Prophets will forgive them for interfering with the Emissary's visions. Kira defends Jake's right to make the decision to save his father, but Winn is disappointed that he did not trust the Prophets. Kira counters that perhaps this is all part of the Prophets' plan. Winn states that the Bajoran Council of Ministers has voted to delay acceptance of Federation membership. She says now that Sisko has found B'hala, her path is unclear and nothing is certain. Awaking in the Infirmary, Sisko reacts in anguish when he realizes that the visions are gone. Bashir informs him that they had no choice but to operate. Back on his feet and in his office, Sisko again ponders the computer image of the painting of B'hala. Admiral Whatley arrives, and asks Sisko to contact the Council of Ministers and tell them that he was wrong, and to convince them to accept Federation membership. Sisko says that he can't do that, because everything he said and did while he had the visions still feels right. Whatley is disappointed, and informs Sisko that he could remove his Starfleet commission for this. Sisko reassures the Admiral that he is certain Bajor will join the Federation one day. Whatley asks if he's speaking as a Starfleet captain or as the Emissary of the Prophets; Sisko answers, "Both." The Admiral replies that in that case, he will keep the champagne on ice. Returning to his quarters, Sisko is greeted by Jake and Kasidy Yates, who are cooking jambalaya as a welcome back dinner, both for Kasidy and for him. Kasidy explains that while he may feel he's lost something important, he has held onto something important as well. She takes his hand and puts it onto Jake's. He in turn takes her hand, and adds it to his and his son's. Memorable Quotes "That's it?" "That's it. The city of B'hala, painted nearly twenty thousand years ago." "Hmm." "Jadzia - you're looking at the most important Bajoran icon ever painted. The only known proof that B'hala actually existed, and all you have to say is "hmm"?" "No, it's just that you both gave it such a build up that I thought it would be a lot... bigger." : - Dax, Sisko, and Kira "I was there." "Sir?" "B'hala. It was the eve of the Peldor Festival. I could hear them ringing the temple chimes." "You were dreaming." "No, I was there. I could smell the burning bateret leaves, taste the incense on the wind. I was standing in front of the Obelisk. And as I looked up, for a moment, I understood it all. B'hala... the Orbs... the occupation... the discovery of the wormhole... the coming war with the Dominion." "You could see the future as well as the past?" "And for one moment, I could see the pattern that held it all together." "You had a pagh'tem'far - a sacred vision." "I don't know what I had. But it felt... wonderful." "The Prophets chose well when they made you their Emissary. So how does it all fit together?" "I wish I knew. ''(playfully) Someone woke me up." : - '''Sisko', and Kira "Those of you who were in the Resistance, you're all the same. You think you're the only ones who fought the Cardassians, that you saved Bajor singlehandedly. Perhaps you forget, Major, the Cardassians arrested any Bajoran found to be teaching the word of the Prophets. I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years, and I can remember each and every beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith... and my courage." : - Kai Winn to Kira "I wonder if the prophets can help us find quarters for Admiral Rifkin" : - Odo "Do not attempt to convince them, Major. They can not understand." "Since when did you believe in the Prophets?" "What I believe in... is faith. Without it, there can be no victory. If the captain's faith is strong, he will prevail." "That's not much to bet his life on." "You're wrong. It's everything." : - Worf, Dax, and Kira "Charlie, I just need a little more time." "For what?" "To find answers. There's clarity here. I wish I could explain it better, but I can't." "You're scaring me with this, Ben." "I'm a little scared myself." : - Sisko and Whatley "But then a shadow blocked out the sun. We looked up and saw a cloud filling the sky. It was a swarm of locusts. Billions of them. They hovered over the city, the noise was deafening... but just as quickly as they came, they moved on. Now I know where they were going. Cardassia." : - Sisko, foreshadowing the events of "Dad, please think about what you're doing. These visions, they're not worth dying for." "I remember the first time I held you in my hands. You were just a few minutes old, and when I looked down at your face, it was almost as if I could see your whole life stretched out in front of you, the joys it would bring, and the bruises. It was all there, hidden in your scrunched up, little face. The baby I'm holding in my hands now is the universe itself. And I need time to study its face." : - Jake and Sisko "I have to tell them." "What is it, Emissary? Have the Prophets revealed something to you?" "The locusts, they'll destroy Bajor unless it stands alone." "Ben, what the hell are you talking about?" "It's too soon. Bajor must not join the Federation. If it does, it will be destroyed." : - Sisko, Winn ''' and '''Whatley "Before Captain Sisko found B'hala, my path was clear. I knew who my enemies were. But now nothing is certain." : - Kai Winn "No...No...You took them away." : - Sisko after the operation which prevents him having any more visions Background Information Bajor and The Emissary *In this episode, Kira makes it explicitly clear for the first time that she is happy for Bajor to join the Federation, acknowledging the contrast to her opinion of five years ago (as seen in such early episodes as , and ) and accrediting the change in her feelings to her time on the station and the influence of Captain Sisko, who, of course, Kira sees as the Emissary of the Prophets. *Had the signing ceremony not been interrupted, this episode would have marked the admission of Bajor into the Federation and, thus, the completion of Sisko's Starfleet mission to "do everything short of violating the Prime Directive" (as it was described by Jean-Luc Picard in the show's pilot episode, ) to ensure Bajor's entry into the Federation. Ironically, it is Sisko himself who prevents this outcome by interrupting the signing ceremony and warning Bajor to "stand alone"; actions brought about by what could be considered a gross violation of the Prime Directive: Sisko's acceptance of his role as Emissary of the Prophets. Following on from and , as Part III of the 'Emissary Trilogy' this episode is a milestone in Sisko's growing acceptance of his role as Emissary, and it also illustrates Starfleet's continuing unease with the position he has allowed himself to occupy in Bajoran religion. As Ronald D. Moore comments, "It's a classic example of what not to do: the Starfleet captain who encounters the primitive culture and declares himself a god. That ''has to be something they teach Starfleet Academy students in their first year. So certainly, when they start hearing that somewhere out on the frontier Ben Sisko is now being revered as a spokesperson for the Prophets, it probably would raise a lot of eyebrows back at Headquarters''." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Sisko's next interaction with the Prophets is in the sixth season episode , where he compels them to destroy the Dominion fleet, and essentially save the Alpha Quadrant from a Dominion take-over. *As the episodes and had implied, Sisko seems to have two missions: one, his Starfleet mission to bring Bajor into the Federation, and; two, the path laid out for him by the Prophets as the Emissary. This particular episode is a landmark example of the latter mission interfering with the former. However, keeping Bajor temporarily out of the Federation most likely facilitated its safe passage through the coming Dominion War by allowing it to independently sign a non-aggression pact with the Dominion in , thereby ensuring its survival and viability as a Federation member in the longer term. If Bajor had joined the Federation in this episode, no such pact would have been possible, and Bajor would most likely have been the first Federation world to fall. Interestingly, after he has ensured Bajor will not enter the Federation as this time, and apparently speaking as both a Starfleet captain and the Emissary, Sisko does assure Admiral Whatley that Bajor will join the Federation "one day". *Although Bajoran religion is a recurrent background theme in many episodes of Deep Space Nine, this is one of only a small number of episodes to have a story focused almost exclusively on it. An earlier example was the fourth season episode , and later examples would include Season 6's and Season 7's . Bajoran religion would also play an important part in both the opening and the closing episodes of season 7; and . *Generally speaking, episodes dealing with Bajoran religion hadn't been particularly popular among either the fans or the studio (see Background Information for the episode for more information). As such, the writers and producers were shocked when this episode proved to be exceptionally popular amongst the fans. Executive producer Ira Steven Behr commented on the popularity of this episode, "I was surprised at the response it generated. fans really seemed to take to this, to the spirituality, the faith. This is the episode that made me realize just what we had created in terms of the Bajoran faith and the Emissary. I knew that it was going to become a more and more important part of the show, and that a part of the audience was going to love it." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) *The strongest proponent for episodes dealing with Bajoran religion was René Echevarria. He was responsible for the continuity between episodes like , and "Rapture". Of this 'Emissary trilogy', Echevarria comments, " was the first story where we really started to investigate what being the Emissary meant. It was the first crack in Sisko's resistance to holding that title. Then in , Sisko finds himself fighting for this thing he claims he never wanted." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) *Winn admits in this episode that she had been wrong to doubt that Sisko was truly the Emissary (which she did in ) and vows to follow the path that he lays out for Bajor, marking a major shift in her attitude towards him. However, the doubt she had felt regarding his role was in due course replaced by jealousy and resentment of it, as seen in Season 7. Continuity *It is stated that the icon painting of B'hala is to be placed in the State Museum in Ilvia. Later in the episode, Sisko tells a Bajoran woman on the Promenade that the katterpod harvest will be much better this year. Both of these Bajor-related references were first heard in the Season 1 episode , in which it was stated that large crops of katterpods were grown in Ilvia. *When describing his Pagh'tem'far to Kira, Sisko references the discovery of the wormhole (which occurred in ), and the coming war with the Dominion (foreshadowing the events of and the major story arc of seasons 6 and 7). *Sisko's vision of locusts heading for Cardassia correctly predicts the revelation in the episode later in Season 5 that Cardassia has joined the Dominion. *Another part of the B'hala excavation site was visited by Sisko in the sixth season episode . *Sisko again suffered "odd synaptic potentials" at the same time as a vision in the sixth season episode ; he had previously suffered "an excess of neuropeptides" at the same time as an orb shadow (in this case, a vision of Kai Opaka) in the fourth season episode . *Given the change of uniform in this episode (see below) and the appearance of Bashir wearing an old-style jumpsuit in the Dominion internment camp in , it is surmised that this is around the same time, or perhaps just after, he was replaced by a Changeling. If the replacement occurred prior to this episode, then it was the Changeling that performed the complex brain surgery that saved Sisko's life. Characters *Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson) returns to the station following the end of the six-month jail term she was given in for aiding the Maquis, and is warmly welcomed back by Sisko. The touching final scene of the episode suggests that she, Benjamin and Jake are becoming a family. However, due to Johnson's shooting schedule on , Kasidy was not actually seen again until Season 6's . *It is not clear why the Kai, Bajor's spiritual leader, would attend the signing ceremony for Federation entry while the First Minister, Bajor's political leader, would not. It is also not clear why more high ranking members of Starfleet (four including Whatley) would attend the signing ceremony than from the civilian government of the Federation (two). *Admiral Whatley is one of a number of admirals who appeared in Deep Space Nine; other examples include Admirals Rollman, Chekote, Toddman, Nechayev, and Leyton. However, a recurring admiral character was not established until Admiral William Ross was introduced in in Season 6. *As had already happened with the character of Dukat, and as would subsequently happen with the character of Damar, in this episode the character of Winn is rendered far more complex than we have seen her up to this point. A layer of ambiguity is added to her villainous role, as her usually unsympathetic character exhibits some admirable qualities when she lectures Kira on courage and faith. As with both Dukat and Damar, this was done purposely by the writers to challenge audience expectations. As Ira Steven Behr explains, "We like to allow the audience to hate people like Winn and then give her a speech that is basically just for Kira and the audience that contradicts their expectations. It's a perverse thing to do!" Similarly, Hans Beimler points out that "The Kai is a really important character on the show, and she's not just one-note. She's complicated, multifaceted. That's because one of the things that Ira always emphasized with us is to make the characters three-dimensional." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) This development would continue in the episode , but Winn's next appearance after that, in the sixth season episode , would return to her familiar role as antagonist, a position she would occupy for the duration of the seventh season. Behind the Scenes *This was the first episode of Deep Space Nine to feature the grey-on-black Starfleet uniforms created for . Sisko also wears a captain's vest/waistcoat, as worn by Jean-Luc Picard in that movie. The uniforms had been held back in production so that they would not be seen until an episode that aired after the official release of the movie. Noticeably, Avery Brooks' tunic does not appear to fit him correctly, making correct positioning of his combadge difficult. For the duration of this episode and part of the following one ( ) he wears the combadge on the grey portion of the tunic instead of the black; the combadge was positioned correctly in all subsequent episodes. Furthermore, Sisko does not have the red stripe around his cuffs that all the other uniforms do. Bashir's "Does my uniform look brighter?" line was a not-so-subtle way of drawing the audience's attention to the new costumes. *According to René Echevarria, the image of the locusts that Sisko refers to when telling the Bajorans not to join the Federation doesn't just refer to the Bible, the image is also something of an in-joke. Echevarria explains that the locusts are actually from an original idea for an episode that never made it past the script stage - a massive swarm of space locusts is detected heading towards Bajor, but the Bajoran people refuse to do anything about it because a Prophecy has foretold that the locusts must destroy everything if Bajor is to survive. The episode revolves around Sisko being forced to use his status as Emissary to convince the people to defend themselves. The reference to locusts in "Rapture" is a nod towards this idea. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) *The scene with Sisko carving shapes into the melon was intended as a homage to the famous mashed-potato scene in the 1977 film . (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) *Although some fans find it unusual that there is no acknowledgement of in this episode, such as a reference to the needing repair work, this was not an oversight on the part of the writers, but was in fact a conscious decision. Ira Steven Behr was not happy with how the Defiant had been used in the film ("I didn't see the point in bringing it on just to kick the crap out of"), and he didn't see any reason to draw attention to it in this episode. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) There would eventually be a brief reference to the film in . Apocrypha *The Bajoran Militia officer that Sisko encounters on the Promenade was never identified in the episode, but was eventually expanded into the character of Vedek Yevir Linjarin in subsequent DS9 novels. *The issue of Bajor's entry into the Federation was later addressed in the DS9 Relaunch novel Unity. Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5.5, . *As part of the DS9 Season 5 DVD collection. Links and References Main Cast *Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko *Rene Auberjonois as Odo *Michael Dorn as Worf *Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax *Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko *Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien *Armin Shimerman as Quark *Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir *Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys Guest Stars *Penny Johnson as Kasidy Yates *Ernest Perry, Jr. as Charlie Whatley Special Guest Star *Louise Fletcher as Winn Adami Uncredited Co-Stars *Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn *Randy James as Lieutenant Jones *James Lee Stanley as a Bajoran security deputy *Unknown actors as **Vedek Mera **operations division lieutenant References Alvanian beehive; Alvanian; archaeology; B'hala; Bajor; Bajoran; Bajoran Militia; Bajoran resistance; Bajoran State Museum; Bajoran transport; bantaca spire; basal ganglia; bateret; Bolian; Cardassia; Cardassian; central nervous system; Chamber of Ministers; champagne; com signal; Colti; Council of Ministers; Dominion War; Emissary; Federation; Federation Council; Federation-Dominion Cold War; headache; holosuite; icon painting; Ilvia; isolinear rod; jambalaya; katterpod; keelhauling; Klingon; latinum; lingta; locust; magistrate; Maquis; mortar; neural sheath; neuropolaric induction; obelisk; Occupation of Bajor; Orb; Orb of Prophecy; pagh'tem'far; Peldor Festival; physical; pleasure maze; post-neural shock syndrome; prison camp; Prophets; Rifkin; Rom; root beer; runabout; sensor array; Sisko image file 376; Starfleet; Starfleet Command; Starfleet Headquarters; Starfleet uniform; Veta; Vulcan; Whatley, Kevin; Yridian; Zocal; Zocal's Third Prophecy External links * * |next= }} Category:DS9 episodes de:Heilige Visionen es:Rapture nl:Rapture